dpa
Moscow
A top foreign affairs official in Russia has warned of an escalation in the Ukraine war after the US gave Kiev the apparent go-ahead to strike deeper into Russian territory.
"US missile strikes deep into Russian territory will inevitably lead to a major escalation that threatens to have far more serious consequences,” said the chairman of the State Duma’s foreign affairs committee, Leonid Slutsky, in an interview with the state-run news agency TASS.
If the information is confirmed, Slutsky said, then Russia will react in the strongest possible way. He said that US President Joe Biden was not only making it more difficult for his designated successor Donald Trump to end the war in Ukraine, but also making it harder to prevent a global confrontation.
The New York Times, among other media outlets, had previously reported that Biden had allowed Ukraine to use ATACMS missiles against targets deep inside Russian territory. Ukrainian leaders have argued that being able to strike military targets such as missile launch sites well within Russian territory are key to the country’s plan to counter the Russian invasion and end the war.
Several European Union leaders, including German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis, cautiously welcomed reports of Biden’s decision.
"Ukrainians shouldn’t have to wait for rockets to cross the border - they should be able to destroy launch sites directly,” Baerbock told German broadcaster RBB Inforadio, citing the principle of self-defence.
She highlighted the unique challenges Ukraine faces, where proximity to the Russian border often renders air defence ineffective due to the rapid impact of missiles.
Baerbock, a Green, said her party holds similar views toward supporting Ukraine as the Biden as well as eastern European countries, France and the United Kingdom.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, a Social Democrat (SPD), has been far more cautious and has repeatedly warned of possible escalation, although his government has approved extensive aid to Ukraine. Scholz has so far steadfastly refused to consider sending long-range Taurus missiles to Ukraine, for instance, despite repeated pleas from Kiev.
Lithuania’s Landsbergis said he would not reach for the champagne just yet as it remains unclear "how many rockets” the Ukrainians have, and wants to know if Ukraine has been supplied with enough missiles to make a difference on the battlefield.